Illegal VCD's now through the Internet

Posted by hasekamp on 29 August 2003
at 11:29 AM
The war on piracy has its dark side too, it now appears. The recent regular crackdowns on pirated video discs has led to more online sales of pornographic VCDs through the Internet. The government has attempted to block pornographic websites, but these attempts have been ineffective. This seems logical to us. The Thai government has no grip on foreign sservers, in our opinion. Furthermore sites can move from one server to another.Online sale opens less chance of being caught by police. The number of websites selling pornographic VCDs has now substantially increased. In a search around 45% of the 643 randomly selected sites accessible to Thai surfers were full of pornographic materials. A researcher now suggests the government to opt for a rating system for such sites rather than blocking them. An age limit of 18 for access to pornographic sites should be set. People could then use their ID cards to identify their ages, which can be crossed checked with the national data base, as references. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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Negative smog test for most cars

Posted by hasekamp on 29 August 2003
at 11:16 AM
We suspected it all, but now it is official: More than half the vehicles on the streets of Bangkok emit excessive exhaust fumes, if random checks over a seven-month period are any indicator. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), yesterday said that 56.84% of the 65,660 vehicles that were checked exceeded the exhaust fume limit. The checks were conducted between January and July. Meanwhile the BMA has kicked off a campaign against exhaust fumes. Under the campaign, vehicle-owners will be fined and ordered to correct any problems with their exhaust systems within 30 days. Offenders will not be allowed to drive their cars pending the mandatory repairs. (Source: The Nation)

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Phuket will become anti-piracy pioneer

Posted by hasekamp on 28 August 2003
at 11:21 AM
Phuket will become one of five pioneering provinces for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government campaign to fight the manufacture and sale of fake goods in Thailand. Imitation brand-name clothing, watches and CDs have become something of a traditional attraction for tourists to Thailand. Mr. Thaksin wants to stop this and to replace the cut-price fakes with something genuinely traditional: goods from the "One Tambon One Product" scheme. A recent crackdown on the island of Phuket has revealed many vendors of fake goods. Yesterday Mr. Thaksin ordered a meeting for Bangkok on September 1 to discuss ways of intensifying the campaign. His wants Thailand to et rid of its imitation labels. Ministry of Commerce officials in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Songkhla and Bangkok, later to be extended to other provinces, will carry this out. Some Phuket vendors have already switched from selling illegal goods to truly traditional Thai products. We find this plan by Mr. Thaksin a good plan. Then Thai tradition to violate other person's IP right should come to an end. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

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Thai novel wins award

Posted by hasekamp on 26 August 2003
at 12:46 PM
Thai writer Pimjai Juklin, better known by her pen name Duanwad Pimwana, has won this year's SEA Write Award for novels. He won the prize with his novel "Chang Samran" (Merriment). The novel depicts the life of poor people in a slum community. The judges said that the novel was simple yet beautiful, filled with hope, dreams and faith in what is good in the human heart. The judges further said that the book gave readers freedom to interpret the story, which was unusual in Thai literature. It did not try to give all the answers or preach. It was not overly optimistic or pessimistic. It looked at the world just as it is. The chairman of the judging committee said the novel reminded of "Luk Isan" (Son of the Northeast), the first novel to win the SEA Write Award, by author Kampoon Boontawee, who recently passed away. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Thaksin attack Wa again

Posted by hasekamp on 25 August 2003
at 12:39 PM
Last week we reported about an attack by Thai soldiers on Wa soldiers in Chiang Mai province. Mr. Thaksin then expressed his anger tabout the fact that Burma did not terminate drug trafficking by the Wa.Three more United Wa State Army soldiers were killed yesterday in a gunfight with drug suppression police on the outskirts of Chiang Mai town. Police also seized 500,000 methamphetamine pills and an AK-47 rifle.Police said the three belonged to the same group as the nine Wa traffickers that were killed in a clash with Thai authorities last Wednesday in Chiang Mai. After that clash, police seized 500,000 speed pills and five AK-47 rifles.None of the men killed was Thai. Yesterday's battle took place about 7am after three teams of suppression police tried unsuccessfully to stop a car for a search at Mae Sa waterfall in Mae Rim district.Police said that two of the dead Wa soldiers held the rank of captain. One was identified as Sai Wan, or Ai Lai, and the other as Haipa. Burma has sent a letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, pledging to cooperate in suppressing drug producers and traffickers along the border.Earlier, Burma arrested a drug baron after Mr Thaksin expressed anger about the large quantity of speed pills being manufactured in Burma and smuggled into Thailand. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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His Majesty is concerned about rare bird

Posted by hasekamp on 23 August 2003
at 12:21 PM
His Majesty the King has expressed concern about the diminishing population of a rare bird (Gurney's pitta), the Natural Resources and Environment Minister said yesterday. The National Parks Department has received a letter from the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary asking for special attention to be paid to the Khao Nor Chuchi lowland.This area, stretching from Trang to Krabi, is one of the country's most pristine wildlife habitats, particularly for Gurney's pitta, known in Thai as taewlaew thong dam. There are only 10 to 15 pairs in the Khao Nor Chuchi rainforest, according to the minister.His Majesty expressed concern over the forest, which is diminishing as a result of encroachment. He suggested that the forest be preserved for the sake of Gurney's pitta. We believe that bird lovers and environmentalist may stop worrying now. What His Majesty suggests will happen.A small breeding population of Gurney's pitta, which was on the verge of being classified as extinct, was discovered in 1986 at Khao Nor Chuchi, according to the UK-based BirdLife International. At that time its population was at least 39 pairs. A large part of the lowland forest has been illegally replaced in recent years by rubber and palm plantations. (Source: The Nation)

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Thaksin wants Wa to stop trafficking

Posted by hasekamp on 21 August 2003
at 16:14 PM
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that Thailand will rein in Wa drug traffickers if Burma does not do so, and that time is running out. His warning came after Thai police clashed with armed methamphetamine traders in Chiang Mai province.The clash killed nine United Wa State Army traffickers and injured 11 others. Mr Thaksin said the traffickers deserved to die and Thailand would not shrink from killing more if they continued crossing the border. The surviving Wa traders fled back to Burma, with half the drug haul.Police seized about 500,000 methamphetamine tablets, five rifles and five grenades. Mr Thaksin said the Wa continued to peddle drugs despite a government campaign in which more than 2,500 suspects were killed. He had appealed to Rangoon to stop the Wa. "But if Burma has no time, we will do that for them," Mr. Thaksin said. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Real Thai massage

Posted by hasekamp on 20 August 2003
at 14:12 PM
We all know that Thai massage can mean classical Thai massage, as practiced in Wat Pho for instance, or it can mean prostitution and nothing more or less. The government now wants to bring clarity in this matter. Old-fashioned massage parlors and spa facilities can be shut down from now on, and the owners will face criminal charges, if the places are found to be fronts for prostitution. The Public Health Minister announced that the authorities will see to it that old-fashioned massage and spa businesses will remain free of prostitution. Any spa or massage establishments will be closed and the owners arrested, should they be involved in the flesh trade. The government has started a nationwide campaign against sex businesses, advertised as classical Thai massage parlors. Authorities will also ensure that the old-fashioned massage parlors and spa centers genuinely maintain health care and hygienic quality for their customers. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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Thai children have lower IQ now

Posted by hasekamp on 19 August 2003
at 11:03 AM
There has been a decline in the intelligence quotient (IQ) level among Thai children, a study has found. A recent research states that the average IQ of Thai children has dropped from 92 in 1996 to 89 in 2001. An average child should have an IQ of 90-110. Researchers blame the decline on a lack of policy focusing on child development in the past decade. There have been policies that focus on education, but not not on child development. Children should be helped to develop their brain power right from the time they are still in the womb, for it would be too late to wait until they reached school age before exposing them to programmes designed to help build their intelligence. We can't resist the remark that we believe that excessive computer gaming, as it is common in Thailand, also is to blame for the decline in the IQ of Thai children. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Extensive international tourism campaign

Posted by hasekamp on 18 August 2003
at 13:41 PM
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to publicize a new campaign in foreign media with a 500-million-Baht budget. The Minister of Tourism and Sports disclosed that the agency would advertise the tourism campaign on CNN in the US (and in fact the world), CCTV in China and other international channels broadcast in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The TAT also plans to bring 3,000 press members from those countries and elsewhere worldwide to visit Thailand, the Minister said. Furthermore TAT will provide sponsorship for two tennis tournament, the ATP Thailand Open scheduled for September and the Paradorn Super Tour 2003, scheduled for October. Meanwhile, the Consumers Protection Board has asked jewelry shop owners to cut commission for tour agents from 40 percent to no more than 10 percent. A large number of Chinese tourists have been lured to jewelry shops in Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Bangkok only to buy bogus or overpriced gems and jewelry. We regularly publish articles about possible endings of the jewelry scams (use our search engine to find them) but it appears that they are not so easy to stop. As long as jewelry impostors are active in Thailand, we believe that it will be difficult to give Thailand a good name abroad. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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Electronic passports

Posted by hasekamp on 17 August 2003
at 11:56 AM
Thai nationals will soon hold e-passports, thanks to the government's plan to introduce the e-passports by mid 2004.The Information and Communications Technology Minister told reporters that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information and Communications Technology had agreed to introduce electronic passports, or e-passports, for Thai citizens. This was to facilitate travelling to the United States of Thai nationals, as Washington had required that all foreigners wanting to enter the United States must hold e-passports as of October 2004 to prevent fake passports, he stated. With the e-passports, computer chips containing personal data and information of individual passport holders would be installed in each passport, making it difficult for cheaters to alter the data and information, he noted. (Source: Thai News Agency)

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THAI reports loss

Posted by hasekamp on 16 August 2003
at 11:37 AM
For the fiscal third quarter (April-June 2003), THAI Airways International reported a net loss of 1,273 million Baht, compared with a net profit of 3,452 million Baht during the same period last year. The loss is blamed to the sharp drop in travel due to the Sars outbreak. This is the first quarter with a loss since two years.For the first nine months of its fiscal year, THAI achieved a net profit of 7,023 million Baht, a decrease of 2,202 million Baht from the same period last year.THAI's passenger traffic had climbed back since June to the pre-Sars level with the cabin factor about to return to normal at 72% in July, compared with 75-76% in the same period last year. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Train toilets to be improved

Posted by hasekamp on 15 August 2003
at 11:13 AM
If you have ever traveled by train in Thailand you know the problem: The toilets are not rally from this century. The railway authority now agrees that train toilets need a major facelift. The cost will be one million Baht each. After decades of complaints about poor hygiene, the State Railway of Thailand has approved trials of two new toilet systems on selected trains.The trial carriages would run for a few months before the board decided on the new system. Tenders would then be called. A recent survey pointed to the urgent need for improved toilets, cleanliness and services on trains. And so you can travel more comfortably in the Thai trains soon. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Crackdown on fake goods

Posted by hasekamp on 12 August 2003
at 9:32 AM
In many places in Thailand fake goods are being sold in large quantities. Bangkok is a place where tons of fake goods are being sold, in Hat Yai nobody can tell you what is real and what not (except the seller of course) and Phuket Island is fast on its way to enter the top list of places where fake goods are being sold.Police seized about 500 items of fake goods with a street value of 500,000 Baht in raids on two Patong stalls last night as the crackdown on imitation products continued. The people selling the goods ran off. Running off is the normal way to try to escape one’s responsibilities in Thailand. Officers moved in on one stall near the Holiday Inn at 9 pm and another stall near the Royal Paradise Hotel at 11:30 pm. Most of the items were imitation Polo brand T-shirts, with long and short sleeves. Imitation goods on sale had decreased dramatically to about 10% of what was on sale before the crackdown began in June. if these crackdowns stop, the selling of fake goods will start again. There are still many big investors in this illegal business left. In Kata (on Phuket Island too) fake goods have also been found. Police have so far been unable to find the owners of the items seized there on August 6. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

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Award for Anti-malaria scientists

Posted by hasekamp on 11 August 2003
at 23:14 PM
Thai scientists who designed a new anti-malaria drug have been honored with a research award from the National Research Council of Thailand. A team of researchers at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) led by Ms Sumalee Kamchornpaisarn were honored for their commitment to working for the benefit of all mankind, the council said.Sumalee's team studied the structure of an enzyme called dihydrofolate reductase, which makes malaria resistant to drugs. She also developed an effective system to study the evolution of the parasite to resist existing drugs.Most malaria research is being done in developing countries like Thailand, but also in Mexico. The large pharmaceutical companies are not interested, because the potential buyers of anti-malaria drugs are not rich enough to make much money from. (Source: The Nation)

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No tourists? Then MICE!

Posted by hasekamp on 11 August 2003
at 13:06 PM
If the tourists don't come, then the MICE should replace them, the Thai government must have thought. Thailand has set as its target to become one of the world’s ten most popular venues for international meetings and exhibitions in the near future. Realizing the situation, Thailand’s public and private sectors recently co-organized the country’s first exposition for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions, the MICE Mart. Last year Thailand ranked 22nd in the world as MICE destination and fourth in the Asia-Pacific region behind Japan, Australia and South Korea. Thailand still holds high potentials for tourism expansion with more than 1,000 existing high standard hotels and interesting attractions in almost all provinces. This facilitates a proactive tourism campaign to attract quality tourists. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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73,231 Drug suspects caught

Posted by hasekamp on 11 August 2003
at 12:58 PM
The war on drugs is not over yet, be it that the iontensified campaign has ended. Police have arrested 73,231 drug suspects, seized more than 27 million methamphetamine pills and impounded assets worth 1.636 billion baht in the past six months. Of the suspects, 453 were producers, 46,465 dealers and 26,313 users. The users have been sent to rehabilitation projects. The dark side is that 129 suspects were killed by police, 26 policemen were killed and 43 wounded in anti-drug operations. A total of 877 government officials were arrested for involvement in the drug trade. All of them are now facing legal and disciplinary action. The Interior Ministry said 53 provinces could now be declared drug-free. Action would continue to make the remaining 23 provinces free of drugs by Nov 30, in time for His Majesty the King's birthday celebrations on Dec 5. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Animal testing has to meet standards

Posted by hasekamp on 9 August 2003
at 11:44 AM
The National Research Commission is drafting a law to ensure a more humane treatment of research animals, a senior official said yesterday. Scientists in Thailand often fail to comply with internationally established codes of practice in dealing with animals after lab tests, especially in failing to dispose of the animals painlessly.A commission found that scientists often had their assistants kill animal subjects, after they were no longer needed, by cruel methods, like burying them alive, cutting their heads off or drowning them. Many scientists ignore the principle of mercy killing for lab animals, despite a widely distributed manual on how to treat lab animals. Most lab animals in Thailand are guinea pigs, rabbits and birds. All are killed after the tests. The planned new legislation will only give the animals a more humane dead. The number of animal tests will not be reduced. (Source: The Nation)

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Large amount of -probably illegal- timber found

Posted by hasekamp on 8 August 2003
at 10:46 AM
Forestry police seized 230 cubic metres of timber (1,610 high-grade logs worth about 10 million Baht) from an abandoned warehouse in Bang Na yesterday. A spokesman for the Royal Forestry Department's Permission Division, said it was believed the logs were smuggled into Thailand from Laos and Cambodia by Titikarn Logging, a Thai company, and destined for export to China, Japan and Taiwan. The company said the logs were legally imported.The seized logs included rosewood, Maka wood, and Burmese rosewood, which sells at 40,000 baht a cubic meter. In Southeast Asia, Payoong wood is found only in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. These kinds of wood are popular among Chinese and Japanese consumers. Their prices are double that of teak, which is worth around 20,000 baht per cubic metre. Smuggling of high-grade timber from Laos and Cambodia was widespread due to a rising demand for wood and Thailand's ban on logging. If the company could prove it had legally cut and imported the timber from Cambodia, it would be allowed to take it back. Forestry officers also found a pile of sawn logs which reportedly belongs to former deputy transport minister Sombat Uthaisang. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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Hotel for 30 Baht?

Posted by hasekamp on 8 August 2003
at 10:41 AM
The Nation publishes an introductory message on its front page today that reads as follows: "The Tourism Authority of Thailand and tourist associations have launched an Unseen Thailand promotion, in which participating hotels and resorts are offering Bt30 overnight-stay packages. The government has said the combined effect of the war in Iraq and Sars cost the tourism sector about Bt15 billion." When we click the link "Read Story" we come to a page about a conference where the harmful effects of the Jakarta bombing, on top of the effects of the Iraq war and SARS, are described and discussed. Nevertheless we find this message interesting enough to pass it over to our readers. (Source: The Nation)

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New investigation in Kirsty Jones murder

Posted by hasekamp on 7 August 2003
at 14:44 PM
Time after time we have been reporting about the rape and murder of British backpacker Kirsty Jones. Ms Jones was raped and murdered in Chiang Mai’s Aree Guesthouse in August 2000. Several arrests have been made since, but all suspects were released later. Use our search box to find all the former articles on this site. Now Welsh detectives are helping in a new attempt to track down the killer of the backpacker, three years after her death. Welsh police officers have now been asked to interview a number of key witnesses in Britain, and Interpol will carry out a worldwide search of DNA databases. Officers from the UK had been then flying to Thailand earlier to collect DNA samples for testing and profiling of the killer. Not long after Kirsty's murder, Thai police arrested British-born guesthouse owner Andrew Gill, 33, after releasing a number of other suspects. But he too has always denied any involvement in Ms Jones's death and was subsequently released without charge. DNA tests on 11 suspects had ruled them out, leaving no real suspect. Then in February last year, five Thai police officers in January who were arrested in connection with the murder were released following the results of DNA tests. Interpol has confirmed that it will be asking all countries with DNA databases to carry out a search for matches of the existing samples, but Thailand does not have such a system. The detectives from the UK will also interview four key witnesses who were in or near the guesthouse at the time of the killing. (Source: BBC News)

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Computer hackers enter Thailand

Posted by hasekamp on 7 August 2003
at 14:29 PM
Computer hackers from the United States, Germany, and India have reportedly slipped into Thailand recently. According to a police spokesman the hackers have evaded arrests in their homeland, by disguising themselves as tourists and businessmen in Thailand. A group of these foreign hackers were suspected to be hiding somewhere in the lower northern province of Phitsanulok, the spokesman said. It is feared that the computer criminals will buy merchandise via the Internet, using stolen credit card codes, and also produce Internet pornography. Unfortunately, Thailand does not have any laws to specifically combat computer related crimes until next year. That is the reason why these criminals have chosen Thailand as their new residence. We wonder, however, if there is any way to bring the new Thai legislation on computer criminality into force earlier. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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Phuket afraid for bombs

Posted by hasekamp on 6 August 2003
at 14:23 PM
In response to yesterday’s bomb blast in Jakarta, where at least 14 have been killed and 149 injured, the Phuket Governor has ordered police to boost security at all hotels across the island. The Governor said that he ordered a general alert last night, and today he ordered police to pay particular attention to security at international chain hotels on Phuket, including closer coordination with hotel security guards.The Governor said that tourism in Phuket has just started to recover, and that he hoped that terrorist acts would not happen in Thailand or Phuket (mark the order). He didn't think, however, that Phuket would be affected greatly because it was not affected much by the terrorist incident in Bali last year. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

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Rehearsal for barges procession

Posted by hasekamp on 6 August 2003
at 14:17 PM
Tickets for a rehearsal of a royal barges procession on 12 October will be sold to foreign diplomats, businessmen and tourists. A ticket allowing you to sit where US President George Bush will watch the real thing 8 days later is expected to cost up to 300,000 baht.The actual procession on 20 October is to welcome heads of state attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Bangkok. Three dress rehearsals will take place, on 7 October, 12 October and 16 October. Organisers want to sell tickets for rehearsals to reduce the 60 million Baht cost of the procession. The idea oof selling tickets for the rehearsals comes from the wife of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.The 50 barges taking part will depart from Wasukri pier at 8 pm and arrive at Rajworadit pier in front of Wat Arun Ratchawararam and the Apec auditorium, where the barge procession and traditional shows will be held at 8.30 pm. The prime minister will view the rehearsal on Oct 7. Our advice to see the procession for free (a rehearsal or the real thing) is to go to Wat Rakhang, where you will have a very good sight on the procession. a wat will not charge any admssion fee. There may be clever salespeople who will try to rent you a chair, but that is up to you. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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His Majesty the King Suggests...

Posted by hasekamp on 4 August 2003
at 14:02 PM
His Majesty the King has suggested the construction of an anti-flood canal between the new Bangkok International Airport and the sea. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra disclosed on Saturday that His Majesty the King suggested that the Royal Irrigation Department to build the canal to release water around the new international airport, currently under construction, to the sea to prevent flooding in the low-lying area. The new airport is planned tom open in 2006. A skytrain is expected to run between the State Railway of Thailand’s repair centre at Makkasan and the new International Airport, the Prime Minister said. Skytrain commuters are expected to take a 15-minute ride to cover the 28-kilometres distance. The train repair centre will be turned into a city check-in for passengers going abroad via the new airport. (Source: Public Relations Department)

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Elephants back to the forest

Posted by hasekamp on 4 August 2003
at 14:01 PM
Ninety-nine elephants were returned to the forest yesterday under a pilot project to train animals that previously roamed Bangkok's streets. The animals and their mahouts are being trained to help protect forests.The Natural Resources and Environment Minister presided over the release of the elephants into the forest at Mae Takhrai national park in Chiang Mai province. Forest staff will use them to patrol forests. The minister said the scheme was aimed at protecting elephants, whose numbers had fallen from about 13,000 many years ago to only 2,000 now. Many elephants had been forced by their owners to roam city streets, helping their handlers beg for food and money. Owners of 99 elephants had joined the ministry's forest patrols scheme.Under the six-month pilot project, elephant owners will be paid 6,000 baht a month. Mahouts will get 4,100 baht a month. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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No more IMF debt for Thailand

Posted by hasekamp on 2 August 2003
at 12:15 PM
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared Thailand free of International Monetary Fund debts worth about US$12.29 billion, paid two years before the deadline in 2005. He also announced a government plan to amend laws drafted under IMF terms, and to maintain the value-added tax rate at 7% instead of raising it to 10% as suggested by the IMF. Changes are planned for the state enterprise law, the bankruptcy law, the civil case procedure law, the land, condominium and property leasing laws.On 30 July 30, the Bank of Thailand made a final payment of $1.6 billion to the IMF and other international creditors which lent Thailand money during an economic crisis caused by devaluation of the Thai Baht six years ago. Mr. Thaksin said Thailand was now free of an IMF debt worth about 500 billion Baht and would not be forced to enter such an IMF program again. Thais had learned a lesson from the pain. Thailand would not fall a victim to capitalism again, Mr. Thaksin said. The way Thailand was able to clear its IMF debts before the deadline reflected its economic stability. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

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The right education?

Posted by hasekamp on 1 August 2003
at 5:29 AM
The Phuket tourism industry, long having problems in finding English-speaking staff, could be glad to know that help is now on the way. Inmates at a prison in Pathum Thani are now being offered three-month English language courses to help them prepare for life on the outside, said a senior official from the Corrections Department. The pilot scheme has been launched in the hope that it will prevent prisoners returning to a life of crime.As well as studying English, inmates can take various occupational classes and will soon be able to study Mandarin and Japanese, or learn how to become tour guides. So far the project has attracted 200 inmates, most of them serving time for minor drug offenses.However, we wonder whether the project will reform criminals, or whether it will simply give new touts, taking advantage of naïve tourists.We see more in a recently started project in Ayutthaya, where inmates are being trained to becomr mahouts. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

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Eco tourism for Phang Nga

Posted by hasekamp on 1 August 2003
at 5:19 AM
The local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will expand eco-tourism in Phang Nga with a trekking and river-boating tour from Khao Ya National Park to Ratchaprapa Dam in Khao Sok National Park. The Deputy Director of the local TAT office, made the announcement after returning from a meeting in Phang Nga, with a senator, Phang Nga residents and rangers from the two national parks. The tour will involve groups of up to 15 people, led by national park officers, trekking through Khao Ya National Park, where they will spend the night. The following morning, the groups will continue 20 kilometers downriver by boat, a 40-minute journey, ending the tour at Ratchaprapa Dam.For this project, eco-tourism experts and people experienced in eco-tourism from Phuket, Phang Nga and Surat Thani provinces will provide advice about tourist safety and how to preserve forest areas. Contact a travel agency in Pnag Nga or Phuket for details. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)